Fátima: between Deep Faith and Knick-Knack

Being one of the 3 Portugal characterising F's (Fado, Football & Fatima),
Fatima is a must for culturally aware travellers.

I guess Fatima is a bit off the beaten track. But in case you are really interested in Portuguese culture, you'll include Fatima in your travel itinerary. By the
way, did you know about these 30
Interesting Facts about Portugal?

It's in this place where in 1912, three little shepherds (Lucia, Jacinta and Francisco) saw the virgin Mary. You may not be a Catholic or believe in such things, but
the spiritual atmosphere of Fatima will impress you for sure. Every day many pilgrims arrive here by foot. When they see their beloved statue of Our Lady, many start to cry out
of emotion and start entrusting their concerns to her.

Some circumvent the "Chapel of Apparitions", the spiritual center of Fatima, on their knees. I was impressed by the huge amount of people at this site on a weekday
and the effusive emotions of the pilgrims.

Eating out: There are not many good food options in Fatima and most of them are foolishly expensive. For lunch, I opted for a home-made soup
with delicious Portuguese bread for 1,50€. Since soups belong to every traditional Portuguese meal, they are perfect if you are looking for a light lunch. Therefore dinner can be more copious!
;)

You can see most things in Fatima in 2-3h. Be careful also with the bus connections: if your next destination is Santrém or Tomar, there are only a few
bus connections to get there. Bus connections toLisbonare great!

FromCoimbra, you have one bus every hour. I
don't recommend to take the train since Fatima train station is a 20 minutes' bus ride away.

Paulina's perspective: Next to the religious devotion, I had the the feeling that I was assisting a fair: people making barbecue in the
surrounding parks, music and lots of touristy shops trying to sell you a statue of Our Lady. I never saw so much Catholic merchandise in my life! If you need a pink T-shirt with the Pope on it,
you'll get it in Fatima! And you'll be spoilt for choice!

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Hola, I'mPaulina- a sustainable travel enthusiast from Luxembourg. I love traveling slow and eco-friendly thus I am
the happiest while hiking, cycling or sailing. Or while doing any other outdoor stuff.

After 4 years in Spain and an epic Boat
HitchHiking journey over the Atlantic Ocean, I am back in Lux' and ready for new travel adventures. Let's hit the road together!